Fragrance testing strips combined with a nose clearing devise

ABSTRACT

My present invention is an apparatus that offers perfume testers the convenience of having both a neutralizing coffee bean pouch and detachable fragrance testing strips in one disposable unit. People will no longer be forced to be exposed to other people&#39;s germs by sharing coffee bean bowls in order to clear their olfactory palate when testing several scents in succession. This invention serves the dual purposes of providing for nose clearing and perfume smelling in one easy-to-use combination coffee bean pouch and fragrance strip apparatus.

BACKGROUND

The practice of sniffing coffee beans at the perfume counter in order to eliminate residual scents in the nasal passages has been around for a long time. Traditionally, there has been a shared receptacle with coffee beans from which all customers sniff. This practice is inherently unsanitary and many people are averse to picking up and putting their noses in the same bowl everyone else has used. My invention will allow people to reap the benefits of clearing scents from their nasal passages without being exposed to other people's germs.

This invention is an eco-friendly, fully compostable/recyclable disposable apparatus that is comprised of a small sniffing pouch filled with coffee beans attached to a number of detachable fragrance testing strips. The entire apparatus will be wrapped in an easy-to-open, recyclable package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention is an eco-friendly, fully compostable/recyclable disposable apparatus that is comprised of a small sniffing pouch filled with coffee beans attached to a number of detachable fragrance testing strips. The entire apparatus will be wrapped in an easy-to-open, recyclable package.

The goal of my invention is to bring hygiene, quality, convenience, and speed to the perfume sampling process. The apparatus is perfect for use in perfume stores. It will be especially useful when dealing with a large number of people testing perfumes at the same time, such as at trade shows where hygiene is compromised by heavy sharing of a common coffee bowl used for nose clearing.

The main body of the apparatus is a combination of a coffee storage pouch and a handle area to which fragrance strips are attached by an eyelet. The fragrance testing strips and the coffee pouch are connected by a single rotatable eyelet making it into one solid and at the same time movable unit.

The main body is constructed of die-cut patterned recycled Kraft paper. I use a flexible paper that has been formed with multiple nubbins and depressions in a uniform and repeating geometric pattern. The texture serves both to increase the grip-ability and the aesthetic value of the apparatus. The paper's flexibility allows the apparatus to be waved under the nose for maximum olfactory benefit.

The storage pouch is a folded, interlocked packet that holds the coffee beans. It has a closed base and a top which can be opened to insert the beans. The tip of the pouch can also be used as a spoon or shovel to fill up the container with beans. The pouch is designed to be used upright and brought near the nostrils by the user in order to clear the olfactory palate. The users will sniff the coffee beans through 6 holes that allow the coffee fragrance out. The holes will be covered from the inside of the container with a fine mesh which is glued to the inside of the pouch.

There is a short strip of aluminum glued to the middle of the back of the coffee bean pouch. This allows the user to press both left and right sides of the pouch to keep the mouth open so it can be filled up.

Inside the coffee bean storage pouch the back is gummed and covered with a removable paper strip. Before filling the pouch, the strip is removed, and once the coffee beans are inserted they adhere to the gummed wall. This avoids the problem of users dropping beans onto floors or counters.

The apparatus device includes both this coffee bean storage pouch and the fragrance strips which are made out of die-cut white blotter paper. The high-quality blotter paper used for making the strips keep the scent longer, and having all testing strips made of the same paper increases the consistency and integrity of the testing process. The fragrance strips are detachable from the main body of the apparatus as the blotter paper is scored at the top to allow for easy tearing.

Some strips are wider and some narrower; the wider ones are perfect for spraying with perfume, while the thin strips can be inserted into bottles. The strips are long enough for users to write the names and characteristics of the fragrances on them each time that a test is conducted.

The strips can be moved one after another giving the ultimate option of making a full circle of the device—imagine a clock's seconds, minutes, and hours hands. This format allows for purity, eliminates cross contamination, and decreases drying time. A half-circle indentation is made on the strips' edges to allow the user to move them easily with their fingers. The strips are waved like a fan in order to decrease the drying period, then waved near the nose in order to increase the olfactory experience.

After spraying the testing strips users let them sit for a few moments, then wave them under their noses. The shape of the body allows this flexibility. This is the best way for users to experience all the fragrances' notes.

There is also a hole with an eyelet at the bottom of the master strip. It allows for the attachment of a tag that could be used for publicity, proverbs, or educational materials.

The apparatus will be delivered to the client pre-packaged in an easy-tear bag. Each apparatus will come with an envelope in which the smelling strips can be preserved for later use.

It is important to note that although the above description contains specificities, these should not be under any circumstances construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustration of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It is also important to mention that the apparatus should not be limited to a particular size or type of paper. Thus the scope of my invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the example given.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows the paper body of the apparatus without the fragrance strips. The main body is made out of embossed recycled Kraft paper. I have drawn in the six breathing holes that are located on the right side of the coffee bean sniffing pouch. At the top are two lines of perforation along which the paper will be bent and folded to create a lid for the pouch. The right edge of the pouch is laminated with glue which seals the pouch shut. On the left edge of the pouch is a depression that has been cut in order to avoid obstructing any of the holes when the sides are brought together. There is a hole directly underneath the coffee pouch for the eyelet which attaches the fragrance strips to the handle, and another hole at the end of the handle to which a small label with a proverb on it will be attached.

FIG. 2 shows the fragrance strips which are made out of recycled blotter paper. The blotter paper has good liquid absorbency, and therefore is ideal for fragrance testing. The strips are scored in the middle so that they may be easily split in two. They are also pre-drilled with a hole through which the eyelet will go. They are scored in a half-circle around the eyelet so they can be detached from the main body. The four rounded indented sections along the strips' edges provide spots for the fingers to rotate the strips. I

FIG. 3 shows a variation of the fragrance strip found in FIG. 2. The only difference is that there are no rounded indented sections along the strips' edges.

FIG. 4 shows another variation of the fragrance strip found in FIG. 2. In this strip there are also no rounded indented sections along the strips' edges. In addition, the strips are scored so that they may be easily split into three sections, rather than the two sections in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 shows the apparatus after it has been folded and assembled. Note the fragrance strip mounted on the main body. It is attached to the body with a compostable eyelet.

FIG. 6 is a detail showing only the strip mounted on the body. Again, the strip is attached to the body by single eyelet.

FIG. 7 shows the body with six holes and a strip of malleable aluminum making it possible to open the coffee pouch and keep it open so it can be filled up. The tip of the pouch is used as a scoop to scoop the coffee into the pouch.

FIG. 8 shows three fragrance strips mounted on the body. The strips are spread out ready to be sprayed with perfume. The strips are attached to the body by a single eyelet. They can be spun all together or individually. They can be spread apart so as to avoid getting perfume from one onto the others. They can all make a full rotation of the main body.

FIG. 9 shows a simplified drawing of a nose mask that is use in combination with the apparatus to increase olfactory concentration if necessary. It is kept on with the help of headband. It has an aluminum strip on the front of the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a simplified drawing of the apparatus without the fragrance strips. It is made out of flexible embossed Kraft paper and has six holes through which to inhale coffee odor. There is one hole right underneath the pouch for the eyelet and one hole at the end for labels.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified drawing of a fragrance strip made out of blotter paper. Scores in the middle make it easy to tear in two. There is also a pre-drilled hole for eyelet and half-circle scoring around the eyelet. There are indentations where fingers can be placed for forward or backward rotation.

FIG. 3 is the same as FIG. 2 but without the indentations.

FIG. 4 is the same as FIG. 2 but with scoring that allows for the strip to be split into three pieces.

FIG. 5 shows a simplified drawing of a strip mounted on the body. The strip is attached to the body by an eyelet.

FIG. 6 shows a strip mounted onto the body of the apparatus. The strip is attached to the body by an eyelet.

FIG. 7 shows a simplified drawing of the body with the six holes and a strip of malleable aluminum that makes it possible to squeeze open the pouch and keep it open.

FIG. 8 shows a simplified drawing of three fragrance strips mounted on the body. The strips are spread out and ready to be sprayed and torn. The strips are attached to the body by an eyelet.

FIG. 9 shows a simplified drawing of a nose magic that can be used in combination with the apparatus to increase smell if necessary. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Sniffing coffee beans in-between each perfume sample clears the nose and readies our olfactory sense for a new scent. The scent of one perfume does not linger enabling us to “start fresh” before smelling each different perfume sample. My apparatus makes it possible to have both fragrance testing strips and a nose clearing device combined into one convenient product. The less-than hygienic practice of the communal coffee bean bowl one finds on perfume counters is eliminated. My invention is an apparatus that combines a coffee bean storage pouch as a nose-clearing device and fragrance testing strips onto one single body. It has several qualities. The main body is made out of flexible embossed Kraft paper. The fragrance testing strips are just long enough so that the users can make notes on a scent each time a test is conducted. The strips can be easily detached because of the scoring. The thinner ones can easily be dipped into bottles or vials with thin necks while the wider strips can be sprayed with perfume. After spraying the testing strips users usually let them sit for a couple of moments, then wave them under their noses. This is the best way for users to experience of all the fragrance's notes. Comprising: Fragrance testing strips combined with nose clearing device claim 1 A main body made out of embossed flexible Kraft paper that is die-cut in a particular shape. The whole main body is one piece. Coffee beans storage container pouch is attached at one tip of the device while fragrance testing strips are attached below it. Both are in one piece seamlessly connected. Container has six pre-cut holes on one side (the right side) so that the coffee fragrance may be inhaled. There is one pre-cut hole for the mounting of the fragrance strips. It is located directly below the storage container. A strip of aluminum is glued on the back of the storage container. Fragrance testing strips combined with nose clearing device claim 1 Wherein my invention presents the advantage of being a device that combines both fragrance testing strips and a nose clearing pouch; fragrance testing strips and coffee storage pouch are both connected; a set of fragrance testing strips is mounted on the main body. Pre-cut hole on the main body and pre-cut holes on the fragrance strips are lined up in such a way that the main body's pre-cut hole corresponds to the hole of each fragrance strip; everything is connected by an eyelet; the eyelet allows each strip to spin 360 degrees. It also combines the set of fragrance strips and the main body making the apparatus into one solid piece providing convenience and flexibility to the users; users will have the advantage of having plenty of strips at their disposal as well as coffee beans to clear their olfactory palate. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein strips can be moved one after another giving the ultimate option of making a full circle with the device as in a clock's seconds, minutes and hours hands; this apparatus serves to increase purity, eliminate cross contamination and keep scents longer; it also decreases drying time and increases consistency and integrity of the blotter paper because of the assurance that strips will come from the same manufacturer. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 3 Wherein the users sniff from a series of six holes that are covered with a mesh that is placed strategically inside of the coffee beans container; the mesh prevents beans from falling onto the ground or counter; the holes allow the users to sniff the coffee beans. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 4 Wherein a half-circle of scoring is placed on the fragrance strip tip near the eyelet allowing for easy tearing and discarding; a half-circle of scoring also allows the coffee storage pouch to be detached from the main body. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 1 Wherein a strip of aluminum is glued on the back of the coffee beans container to allow the tip to be squeezed open and stay open; this feature also allows the tip of the coffee bean pouch to be used as a spoon or shovel for filling up the container with coffee beans. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein circle and half-circle indentations are made on the strips to allow the user to move it easily with their fingers. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein some of the strips have scores of one vertical line in the middle with also half-circle scores at the tip. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein some of the strips have scores of two vertical lines in the middle with also half-circle scores at the tip. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein there is a strip of adhesive glue on the left edge of the unsealed coffee pouch before left and right edges are brought together to create a seal. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein the shape of the strips and flexibility of the main body increase ventilation when user decides to use it like a hand fan; the method consists of bringing fragrance strip near the nose and waving it to decrease drying period and also improve fragrance smelling. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein the main body also has two pre-cut eyelet holes; one is directly below the coffee storage pouch for attachment of fragrance strips; the other is at the bottom of the main body making it possible to attach publicity, proverbs, or educational material. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein the back inside wall of the coffee bean pouch is gummed with tacky glue and covered with a removable protective strip, making it possible for beans to stick to the embossed Kraft paper; this not only prevents them from coming out of the container but also forms a wall of aggregate coffee beans inside the container. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein a cup made out of regular dust-mask-like fabric can also be provided to act as a chamber around the nose, thus increasing the olfactory experience. Fragrance testing strip combined with nose clearing device claim 2 Wherein an envelope will be provided with the device for packaging and preserving best smelling strips. 